This screenshot from the Japan Meteorological Agency website shows the expected direction of Typhoon Soulik in the coming days.

TOKYO -- Strong Typhoon Soulik is expected to come very close to the southern Japan region of Kyushu and the Amami islands on the evening of Aug. 21, causing high winds and torrential rains in southern and western parts of the country, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The agency warned residents in areas in the typhoon's path to be on their guard against landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains. Soulik is followed by yet another typhoon, and extra caution is advised to avoid damage from the tropical storms.

According to the JMA, Typhoon Soulik was located about 500 kilometers east of Minami-Daitojima Island, which is several hundred kilometers south of the southern tip of Kyushu, as of 9 a.m. on Aug. 20. The storm had a central atmospheric pressure of 955 hectopascals and was moving west-northwest at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour. The maximum speed of wind observed near its center was 40 meters per second (144 kilometers per hour), and gusts of up to 60 meters per second (216 kph) were observed.

The typhoon, the 19th of the year, is forecast to trigger localized downpours along the Pacific coast of western and eastern Japan. During the 24-hour period ending 6 a.m. on Aug. 21, up to 180 millimeters of rain is expected to fall in the central Japan region of Tokai, and a maximum 150 millimeters of rain is likely to be observed in the western regions of Kinki and Shikoku.

Torrential rain is also expected in southern areas during the 24-hour period through 6 a.m. on Aug. 22 in the Amami region with the maximum rainfall expected to reach 300 to 400 millimeters. The southern Kyushu and Shikoku regions are expected to be lashed with between 200 and 300 millimeters of rain, while the northern Kyushu and Tokai regions are forecast to have up to 100 to 200 millimeters of rain. The Kinki region in western Japan will be hit with rainfall of between 100 and 150 millimeters during the same period.

High winds are also expected to hit the Kyushu and Amami islands as well as the Pacific coast of western Japan. Winds of up to 45 meters per second (162 kph) are forecast in the Amami region by Aug. 21, while winds of up to 30 meters per second (108 kph) is expected to blow in southern Kyushu, and Okinawa is likely to see wind speeds peaking at 23 meters per second (83 kph).

High waves reaching 11 meters are expected to reach southern Kyushu and the Amami islands, while waves of up to 6 meters are likely to hit Okinawa, northern Kyushu and the Shikoku region.